


A Different Canvas

by Baekhanded



Series: FoxTail Cafe [4]
Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Art, Coffee Shops, Drabble, Drabble Collection, M/M, Neil is a Little Shit, Painting, Softness, Tattoos, andreil are softies, but in a loving way, paint, requests open, soft
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-21
Updated: 2018-09-28
Packaged: 2019-07-15 02:13:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 2,664
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16053296
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Baekhanded/pseuds/Baekhanded
Summary: Tables and sidewalks and canvas and skin





	1. Sun and Stars

“You know, you aren’t allowed back here,” there’s amusement in Neil’s voice as he sits beside his grumpy blonde. Andrew just rolls his eyes at him, as dramatic as can be. Neil sits beside him all the same and the two enjoy a few minutes of companionable silence. 

 

“Yes or no,” Andrew says suddenly.

 

Neil stares at him a moment, head tilted before finally answering, “Yes.” 

 

Andrew holds out his hand then, and Neil cautiously puts his own in his open palm. Andrew turns to face him, his other hand reaching up to pull Neil’s sleeve up- slowly, eyes on his the entire time. Neil lets him pull it up, just a few inches.

 

“Don’t stare,” Andrew quips and Neil smiles looking away.

 

He feels a slight coldness on his skin and it takes every ounce of self control not to look. He feels soft bristles brushing across his skin. He tries to make out the pattern but isn’t familiar with the odd strokes Andrew makes.

 

It doesn’t take long, but the feeling of cool paint (hopefully) and the soft rhythmic brushes soothes Neil down to his soul. He feels settled.

 

Finally the feeling stops. “You can look,” Andrew announces.

 

Neil does and feels a laugh bubble from his chest.

 

It’s a little sun, a bright yellow sun and stars peppered around it.

 

Andrew doesn’t look at him but Neil can tell he’s waiting for a reaction.

 

“Sun and stars huh?” he asks, almost cheeky. 

 

“Shut up.” 


	2. A Bit of Yellow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A small little yellow

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have this while i think of a good idea for a request!! its veRY short and im so so sorry about that TT TT

It’s the end of the day and Neil is spent. He all but collapses at the table Andrew’s taken over. Andrew looks at him impassively. Neil’s arms are stretched out in front of him, sleeves rolled up from where he was just finishing the dishes from the final shift. He feels something cold on his arms and settles into his slouch.

 

This time the feeling is much smaller, just over the back of his wrist and it’s over in a blink and two shakes. He feels a wet pat to his hand- a spiteful pat of a cleaned brush- and lifts his head. Above the splatter of yellow water is a little banana on his wrist. 

 

Neil snorts, he’d eaten a banana earlier today, “Really?”

 

“Really. Stop whining and lets go.” Andrew throws all his things into a bag uncaringly. Neil pulls himself from the chair and follows him out, locking up on his way.

  
  


He stares at the little banana all the way home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im open to any requests! (@StarryLillith im working on yours! I really hope you'll like it!)


	3. The Sky

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [youre] Pretty

They’re sitting at the park, a picnic spread beneath them and the others playing frisbee and other classic games not far away. 

 

His head’s in Andrew’s lap and Andrew’s fingers are in his hair.

 

Neil halfway thinks he’ll get up and find his hair crusted with random paint colors. He wouldn’t put it past Andrew, he’d done it to Renee once. 

 

It ended up backfiring on him, she had liked it and the next day her hair was the same, but proper colored. Dye and everything.

 

Renee had said Andrew pouted for a week in typical spiteful Andrew fashion. Andrew didn’t correct her, and Neil liked to think of a grumpy, spiteful Andrew. It always ended up reminding him of grumpy cat. Almost too cute to be intimidating. 

 

He’d never say that out loud though. Even if both points were true. Andrew  _ was _ cute  _ and  _ intimidating. But not always at the same time.

 

He raised an arm and covered his mouth, trying not to smile at the thought. Andrew stared down at him, almost as if he could read his mind. 

 

He touched Neil’s covered arm, “Yes or no?”

 

Neil hummed, a muffled, “Yes.”

 

Andrew rolled up his sleeve and Neil closed his eyes at the feeling of cold paint.

 

It was different this time, the strokes longer and the cold coating more of his skin than he was used to. He didn’t shiver but it was a close thing. 

 

Neil might have fallen asleep to the long careful strokes. 

 

He woke with a jerk to the other Foxes voices.

 

Namely Dan’s, “That’s adorable.”

 

Then Matt’s, “Seconded.”

 

Followed by Allison’s, “You guys are disgustingly cute.”

 

And finally Renee’s, “That’s very lovely, Andrew.”

 

Andrew only grunted and ignored them. Neil sat up and squinted at them before looking to his arm.

 

Almost the entire thing was covered in paint, bright blue like the sky. The saw fluffy white clouds below his elbow and a big, full tree in soft looking grass around his wrist. 

 

“It’s pretty.”

 

It took everything Andrew had not to respond, “You’re pretty.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know if yall have requests for things like this! it doesnt just have to be neil or neils skin!


	4. Dan'de'lion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A gift for Dan  
> from StarryLillith's prompt!  
> "-one of the foxes get one of andrew’s designs tattooed on them"  
> thank you SO MUCH my dear I hope you enjoy it!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the very lovely @StarryLillith !!!! I RE A L L Y hope you lik e it!!! 
> 
> i was also listening to this as I was writing it! It doesn't really have anything to do with the piece but in case youre in to finding some music!  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSznIErEa2s

If there’s anything Andrew’s learned with his time with the Foxes, it’s that they’re all so...quirky. Their fondness for his shitty paintings was a testament to that. At least they were all uniquely quirky. Matt and his boxing and his sunflowers. Allison and her pretty face and sharp tongue. Neil and his….everything. Andrew could admit to himself that he might be a little fond. But just a little, and only because of Renee. 

 

Matt still gushes about his painting any chance he gets and Allison makes a point to show hers off, always leaving her keys around the shop where her fellow employees can see. Neil’s still blessedly quiet and not boastful about the little things Andrew likes to paint on him. Dan’s very obviously a little bitter about the whole thing. Andrew might frown a bit whenever he thinks of her. He’s been wracking his brain to think of something that might fit her, but he draws a blank. Matt and Allison were easy. Neil’s easy. He doesn’t want this to somehow reflect on Neil. Andrew knows shit like that happens all the time. Blaming a co-worker for something one of their people does or doesn’t do. He doesn’t  _ actually  _ think Dan would do anything or blame Neil, but Andrew doesn’t like to take chances. But he still can’t think of anything for the girl. 

 

He tells Renee as much that week.

 

“You’ve been thinking of what to paint for her?” a nod, “Andrew i’m sure she’d be more than happy with anything you did.”

 

Andrew grunts and wraps his hands around his ankles, “I don’t doubt it, but i’m not copping out. The other two have something more personal, I’m not just gonna shit out a basic flower and throw it at her.” 

 

“Maybe not a basic flower, but maybe a flower that symbolizes her? Or something more symbolic.” Renee offers.

 

Andrew rolls his eyes, “Yeah, it’s not like that’s what i’ve been struggling with or anything.” 

 

Renee just laughs, “I’m sure you’ll think of something.”

  
  


\---

  
  


It hits Andrew in the middle of the night, startles him right out of his restful sleep. His heart beating wildly in his chest as he sits up. He throws his hand out reaching for his lamp. He hisses at the blinding light and reaches under his bed for a sketchbook. 

 

He doesn’t think, he just draws. Relying on pictures he’d seen in passing the past years of his life. He thinks of Dan’s fierce smile and her protective nature and her radiating strength. Of the stories Neil’s told him about that strength. About the times she would fight for her friends, putting herself in front of them.

 

The sun’s seeping in through his blinds by the time he’s finally satisfied with the design. 

 

He debates painting it on a canvas, but something tells him that, in this instance something simpler would be better.

 

He settles on colored pencils and, knowing he wouldn’t be able to fall asleep until he was  _ completely  _ finished he stands up and tosses the book onto his coffee table.

 

He makes coffee, finds a box of pencils doses his coffee with enough sugar it can’t even be considered coffee before he curls up on the couch and begins meticulously choosing color and putting them to paper.

  
  


\---

  
  


Unlike his usual ‘deposits’ Andrew sticks around today. He’s not gonna let Neil play messenger today. His stomach feels fluttery, nervous butterflies flying. He digests them as quickly as he recognizes the feeling. There’s no point getting nervous over this.

 

“Neil isn’t working today you know,” It’s Dan and she sounds amused.

 

Andrew looks up at her unamused, “I’m aware, I’m here to see you.”

 

Her expression shifts from surprise to wariness back to surprise, “Me? Why?”

 

He shrugs and holds out a larger than average stiff envelope. She looks at him with a raised brow. He doesn’t say anything and she slowly opens it. Andrew takes in her expression her confusion melting into shock, and then into awe. Her eyes practically sparkle when she looks back to him. 

 

“Andrew…” she can barely strangle the word out, he stands up. 

 

“Do with it what you want,” he leaves her in her stunned silence. His relief is as soothing as it is annoying.

  
  


\---

  
  


It’s almost a week before Andrew graces the Foxes with his presence again. He’d been a little busy, but he isn’t going to tell them that.

 

“Hey look! It’s our favorite mascot!” Matt shouts the first moment he sees him. Andrew wishes Neil wasn’t so fond of Matt, he could do with a good punch or two. “Dan really loves that picture you made her! She’s been showing  _ everyone _ .” There’s a look in his eyes that Andrew doesn’t like. Like there’s something he doesn’t know.

 

He needn’t have concerned himself with it, it’s not like the Foxes could keep a secret. When Dan spots him she practically floats over to him.

 

“We’ll if it isn’t my favorite complimentary Fox!” she smiles brightly at him and he just stares at her, “I’ve been wanting to talk to you actually. I know I probably should’ve asked permission or something, but you  _ did  _ tell me to do whatever I wanted so…”

 

“What are you saying,” Andrew’s heart rate had taken to spiking whenever the Foxes decided to talk to him, especially like this.

 

“Well, let me just show you,” Dan grins and turns around. Andrew’s silence isn’t a surprise, but the look in his eyes is. “The tattoo artist thought your choice of colors were  _ perfect  _ for my skin tone. The oranges you used? Genius they said. Matt and Neil think its very appropriate. We looked up the flowers and everything. Who would've ever thought to make a Lion with a mane of geraniums? You’re a creative little shit and I….I really appreciate the sentiment Andrew...thank you.”

 

Andrew affects his indifference with a shrug, “It was nothing.”

 

“Maybe to you, but not to me, so thank you, you menace.” She laughs and he knows if she had known him just a bit less she would’ve tried to give him a kiss on the cheek or a hair ruffle, instead she gives him something sweet for free and calls it a day. It’s much better than any physical affection ‘thanks’ could ever be. 

 

Her artist was right, though. It was why he had chosen those colors in the first place. 

  
He squashed down the light feeling in his chest at seeing his art inked into her skin and pushed it aside. He  _ did  _ say to do whatever she wanted. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had the thought of dan is fierce a liON IS FIERCE WHATS A FLOWER THAT SYMBOLIZES STRENGTH, and what i came up with was a lion with the mane of orange geraniums look at these
> 
> https://parkseed.com/images/xxl/51240-pk-p1.jpg flower  
> flower color/meaning- https://www.bloomnation.com/blog/the-meaning-behind-flower-colors/  
> "Orange Flowers  
> No wallflower, here. Orange is bold, passionate and full of life. It’s no wonder that orange blooms speak of enthusiasm, excitement and exuberance."  
> "Geranium Gentility, determination" i think this is from wikipedia? I just googled 'flowers that symbolize strength' then clicked down!
> 
> BUT idk i just love the way those colors and symbols would work on Dan's skin?? UGH i just really hope you like it!!


	5. A Key

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [My]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> for the absolutely lovely and wonerful @Marichatshipper !!!!! who has "a weakness for Neil having a key painted on him." I really hope this is acceptable! That you enjoy it! 
> 
> Also if anyone could let me know how to actually tag people on these i'd really appreciate it? If there is a way i mean i dont want anyone missing their stories!

Neil had become used to the feeling of paint on his skin. The first few wet, cold drags or drops. The feeling of Andrew’s favorite brush soft against his skin. 

 

They had both slowly gotten accustomed to each other, Andrew letting him settle against Neil’s side his cheek on the crook of Neil’s shoulder. 

 

This was new though. Andrew stiff but not uncomfortable against him, his gaze heavy on the scars peeking through the loose hem of Neil’s tee shirt.  Neil never really knew which one he was staring at or if it was a different one each time or just a different bit of puckered skin. 

 

Sometimes Neil wondered if he was intrigued or getting inspiration or just blankly staring and not seeing anything. It was nice, either way to feel the rigid lines leave Andrew’s frame as he fully settled and relaxed against Neil’s side. There was something different about it today. Andrew’s posture was relaxed, but his stare was intense on Neil’s collar. Neil knew his heart was hammering, he hoped Andrew couldn’t hear it. 

 

He saw Andrew lift his hand and hover over his shirt, “Yes or no?”

 

His voice was soft but intense as he asked, Andrew had no idea what he had planned but he was excited to find out. His voice was barely above a whisper, “Yes.”

 

Andrew let his hand fall to the loose fabric and he tugged it further down, revealing more of Neils chest and shoulder. The weak seams popping as he pulled. His stare remained intense on Neil’s bare skin. He knew he could feel his heart hammering away while his hand rested over it. He hummed softly then tugged the seams more, the shirt hanging off his shoulder with no resistance.

 

Neil just rose an eyebrow at him, “Really Andrew? What did this shirt do to you?”

 

Andrew just snorted, giving Neil a patented “Don’t ask stupid questions” look. He pushed himself up onto his elbow and leaned over across Neil. Neil held his breath until he felt Andrew settle once more at his side, a small hefty package on his chest. Andrew rested his chin in his own hand as he fiddled with things in the case on Neil’s chest. Before long he felt the cold ticklish drag of Andrew’s paint and brush on his skin. He felt the lines being dragged along his collarbone. Or at least that area, Neil wasn’t sure but he let the feeling lull him into senselessness. 

 

Before long he felt Andrew’s cheek settle once more onto his shoulder. He feels him push the box off of Neil’s chest and replace it with his hand. Almost hesitant. Neil just smiled, content to lay in peace with Andrew’s intense gaze finally off of him. Both were lulled by the rhythm of each other’s breath into a dreamless doze, the sun warming them as they lay on the floor. 

  
  


\---

  
  


Neil woke an indeterminable time later, the sun having finally shifted below the horizon, the moon replacing her warmth with an ethereal glow. Neil loved the way Andrew looked in the moonlight. He loved it even more when his features were lax in sleep. 

 

“Staring.”

 

Neil just laughs and carefully pulls his numb arm out from behind Andrew’s head. Another amused huff on his lips when his shirt just falls more off his shoulder. 

 

When the light flickers on in Andrew’s bathroom Neil’s breath halts in his lungs as he takes in his reflection in the now illuminated mirror. 

 

It was a key. But Neil knew better, it wasn’t just any key. Those weren’t just any teeth. Neil didn’t know them, but he knew Andrew well enough by now he didn’t do things ‘just because’. He tried not to think of it, he tried not to think too deeply into it as he washed his face. He heard Andrew pattering around, probably in the kitchen. Neil took a deep breath and stared once more at the key on his skin before turning and making his way to where Andrew stood- leaning against the kitchen counter. His eyes were trained on Neil, a mug in his hands and one across from him. 

 

Now Neil knew Andrew had a point. He could feel it in the weight of his gaze.

 

He played nonchalance, “A key huh?”   
  
Andrew just stared, Neil took up across from him, mimicking his stance.

 

Finally Andrew broke. He reached out and took one of Neil’s hands. Neil felt the unmistakable feel of metal, skin warm pressed into his palm. Neil’s eyes were trained on their hands for an endless minute. Even after Andrew took his away Neil stared. The key was small and dark but unmistakable in Neil’s eyes. He slowly tore his eyes from it to look into Andrew’s impassive ones.

 

“A key.” Andrew confirmed, then added, “My key.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Im open to any and all requests!!!
> 
> i was listening to a lot of Karliene but also this! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJRqtx_Q0Hk when writing the last little bit!! 
> 
> Thank you all for all your love and support for this little series, it really means so much i've never gotten such immediate positive attention for anything i've done and i love and adore all of you and would love to write your prompts if you have them!!

**Author's Note:**

> im 1000000% open to writing little drabbles for anyone that has an idea what theyd like to see painted on neil's skin! or renee! or any fox tbh if you;d like!


End file.
